Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-06
LOST HIS PRESTIGE.
EDITOR O'BRlEN DiSAPPOlNTS A RE-
CEPTiON MEETING

Because He Can Not Indorse a Proposed
Resolution or the Chairman-Dr. Me-
Glynn Denounces Him rs Landlord at
Heart and the As-embtage Groans and
Kisses the Editors Name.
NEW YORK, June Tin point of numbers
the Labor parade in honor of Editor O'Brien
was splendid success, there being as many
as 5000 in line and an immense throng of
people on the. streets which the parade trav
ersnd But the fact that Mr. o'Brien refused
TO attend the meeting gotten up especially FOR
his honor, although it did not shorten the pro-
gramme 10 any extent, gave the affair the
character of the play Of "Hamlet7 with the
title role missing. 1t was known before the
procession moved that u Brien would not at
tend the nieeting bat the parade was had and
at about 10 y. III it was halted at the stand in
Union square, on which were seated DR.. Nc
Glynp, Judge Tucker, Rober Blissert, Patrick
s. Cassidy, AMI a number Of Labor leaders,
John Mcslackin opened the proceedings with
few remarks which were followed by cries
for 0'Brien Mr. McMackin then announced
that the Irish editor would not be present, an
announcement which was received with groans
and Kisses. Dr Mc'ilynn then addressed the
meeting. and said Mr.. OBrien should not he
blamed for staying away, us I've had been per
Suaied to do So. SI=+,ches were ttlsp made by
Rabbi Browne, MIR Archibald and others, and.
after resolutions Of sympathy with Mr.
O'Rren had been rasse,i iht. meeting came To
close.
Among the resolutions presented was the
following:
Resolved. That proclaim it the God given
right Of every people to govern themselves with
out any interference. or tlr,tation whatever and
that dennun,e the hill for the coercion Of Ire
land now pentinG in the British parliament, and
the threats of accommodation from Italy
against patriotic priest who has favored Irish
revolution. rs meritnug the condemnation Of lib
erty loving men the world over.
Mr.. u Brlsn !tdnri",ei this resolution and
requested the committee of arrangements to
omit it, as he did not wish to lie mixed up in
the Mctilyun sqHabble The committee re-
fused to reject the resolution. Mr. 0'Brien
remained secluded at his hotel during the
demonstration Resolutions welcoming him,
assuring him Of sympathy with his mission,
denouncing laIrjdomne's treatment Of his
tenants, condenining The laws which make
the treatment ii. lrela,d a private property
possible: slte6N;s The r.SJeution in Great
Britain inspired by FarneIl and other Irish
leaders, AMI denounciug the brutality with
which O'Brien was treated while il Canada
were also adopted
Mr.. O'Brien, in speaking OF his non-attend-
anee at the nlass-meeting, said that he deeply
regretted that he had TO refrain from attend
ing, because he felt that his participation
would jeopardi2e the friends Of many Amer
lean sympathizers with the Irish cause; that
the person elected to preside AMI present the
address of welcome was one whose connection
with the affair tineaulng Mr.. McMackin, who
presided at lecture recently delivered by
Mr.. lyman, knewn also As No |" in con-
nection with the Fenian brotherhood, would
lie used to give color to the malignant misrep-
reservations OF The London Times, and would
involve the most calanitous results for the
Irish movement. Another reason was that
the resolutions condemmng private ownership
of land were in direct contray ention of the
objects of the Irish National league and would
undoubtedly entangle them in American is
sues
Henry George wrote letter, explaining his
absence from the meeting. i'll which be used
the following language:
An engagement of some weeks standing to adj
dress an anti-poverty meeting in Jersey City on
Saturday evening will prevent me from accepting
your invitation to attend the reception to be given
To Mr. William q Brien ny the Central Labor
Union | am glad to tale the opportunity to ex
press my warm sympathy with the Irish cause,
political and social. and my appreciation of the
patriotic work which hats been done by MIR Brien
and his associates l cannot, however, JON in de
nouncing any Irish landlord for doing what the
laws of his country give him perfect right to do
and what American landlords do every day; and
am too stanch an upholder of the sacred rights
of property to justify the putting of any coercion
upon II landlord us to the terms or conditions on
which he shall allow others to use what is still
admitted To he his In other words hold with
James Fintan LAWYER, Bishop Nuty. Patrick Ford
and other eminent lrishnien. that the land of Ire
land, like the land of New York belongs right.
fuy either to the landlords OF to the whole peo-
pie and cannot regard as final or even as in it
self worth struggling for any settlement OF the
land question which would merely force the land
lords to reduce tIe rent Of their tenants while
leaving tn" warlingmeu of the cities and the
laborers Of the country without any greater inter.
est in the soil If their native ltuI than they had
before
Mr.. Georges letter concludes with the claim
that the only principles upon which the land
question can be fairly AMI equtably settled
are those adopted by the New York United
Labor party. and which he is the particular
advocate of
Sunday night saw an excited meeting among
the labor men, who We're bitter in their denun-
citation of Editor William 0'Brcn Secretary
George G. Mc4uadC, who involved the or
gani2iiion in more or less Of the trouble,
made an explanation, in which liz said Mr.
O'Brieu refused 10 speak unless SOME changes
were made in the resolutions and chairman
ship. The committee voted to ask Mr.. Nc
Mackn to withdraw and to recons i,irr the
resolutions Mr. McMackiu, however.
firmly resolved to hold the chair
The sixth Sunday night meeting of the
anti-poverty society Mt the Academy of
Music was i'll point of numbers in at
tendance a repetition Of the gather
ings which have preceded, and DR..
McGlynn, president Of the society,
was received with extravagant applause and
every evidence of admiration on the part OF
the vast audience A man in ot:a of the gal
leries caused an angry outhurst of misses by
shouting "Hnrrah for 0Brien,n and there
were loud demands TO put him ont, but DIR.
Mcttlynn, with deprecatory wave of the hand,
quslled the rising tumult and quietly began
HE address In the concluding portion of his
remarks DR. Mctilynn expressed regret that
Mr. O'Brien should have been Influenced by a
certain clique to absent himself from meet
ing, the object Of which had been to promote
the idea Of the restoration of the peoples